cloclo2

Last year, we got a multiple-entry B2 tourist visa for my step-daughter. She spent 1 month in the US with me and we returned to Mali. Now, I want to bring her for another month this summer. I am not worried about the visa because it is for multiple-entries and it doesn't expire for another 5 years. I am just wondering if there is anything I have to fill out online or otherwise before leaving? Maybe after all of these years of paperwork and documentation, it feels weird for me to travel without having filled something out first!

Do we need to fill out anything before her second trip to the US on a B2 visa?

Do we just need to bring the same sort of documentation that we did last time (showing ties to the country) just in case we are asked at the border?

Thanks in advance for your help!

If his mother has agreed to give permission for her son to travel to the US then she could accompany him to the visa interview at the embassy. You could send her a letter from your husband giving his permission as well.

I did a B2 visa for my stepdaughter last year. My husband and I were both at the appointment and we had a signed letter from her biological mother giving permission for the trip, along with a photocopy of her ID card.

Hey all, can someone give me the link to the spreadsheet of November? I switched phones and lost all my bookmarks. At the at the moment I only have my phone to use and I searched for an hour and cannot find it.

Thanks!

Bessy and Marky

Here you go!

Just checking in! We filed on November 11th and got the NOA1 on November 18th being processed through Nebraska. We both live in Bamako, Mali and I am the USC. We filed 2 I-130s together- one for my husband and one for my step-daughter.

Anyway, happy to join you all!

Send to chicago because u are filing abroad but on I-130 use us address that's what I did goodluck

Thanks for your answer. It's so confusing knowing what addresses to use. On the I-130, I used my Mali address, because it's asking where I live and I wanted to answer the questions honestly.

In the cover letter, I gave the my parent's US mailing address and the return address on the package will be the US address, too. I hope that it will be clear enough for them. Should I maybe add an extra page explaining the addresses on top of the cover letter?

Also in your cover letter make sure you let them know you are out of the county with your husband but your permanent address is your united states one sign up for email updates and you should be ok again good luck

Thanks! I did write this on the cover letter. But now I'm wondering if I should add another page that addresses just the address question.

And I did give my email and my mom's cell phone on the G-1145.

Thanks!

About to send in my I-130 petition and I have a question about which lockbox to send it to.

I am the USC and I live in Mali. On the I-130 and G-325a forms, it is my Malian address listed. However, we have included a note that my mailing address is in Utah, USA at my parent's home because of the unreliable mail system here in Mali. So our return address on the envelope is in Utah.

Do I send the petition to the Phoenix lockbox (for Utah) or the Chicago lockbox (for those living abroad)?

Thanks!

If you use your address in Mali, the the package goes to Chicago.

Okay, so I guess we'll go with Chicago? Would they ever reject my petition because I sent it to the wrong lockbox?

Like I said, on the forms- we'll be putting the Mali address. On the envelope and in the cover letter it states that the mailing address for the petition should be the Utah address.

First of all, you are sending a petition, not an application. If you are using your parents' address in Utah on all applicable forms, then the Phoenix Lockbox would be the appropriate place to send it to.

Thanks. On our forms (I-130 and G-325a), we are using out Mali address since putting the Utah address wouldn't be accurate. On our cover letter and on the envelope, the mailing return address is the Utah one. So I guess I'll still go with Phoenix.

Updated question:

So we are filing from abroad but I am going to put my parents address in the USA because I'm nervous about not receiving mail here in Mali and it looks like auto-expedite might be a thing of the past.

So here's my question now: which lockbox do we send the application to? My parents live in Utah (that would mean the Phoenix Lockbox) but we live, and are filing from, abroad (which would mean using the Chicago lockbox).

So....Phoenix or Chicago?

Thanks! I did mention passport style photos in the original post but thanks for the idea of sending in 2, like you said, better safe than sorry. I will not be including the beneficiary's birth certificate at this time since it's not required and we are working on correcting a few errors on my husband's birth certificate.

Thanks for looking it over!

*BUMP*

I'd really appreciate some feedback on this. Thanks!

After a lot of document gathering, marriage certificate corrections, and lots of translating, I think we are ready to send in our I-130 application packet. We're sending it from abroad so I really don't want to forget anything. I'd really appreciate it if some VJers could look it over and see if we're missing anything.

Thanks!

Contents include:

1. G-1145 E-Notification

2. Payment
3. I-130F for (beneficiary's name)
4. I-130F for (other beneficiary's name- step child)

5. Birth certificate copy (front and back) (Petitioner)

6. Copy of Marriage Certificate and translation
7. G-325A and passport style photo (Petitioner)

8. G-325A additional information (Petitioner)

9. G-325A and passport style photo (Beneficiary)

10. G-325A additional information (Beneficiary)
11. Copy of Birth certificate for (petitioner’s step-child) and translation

12. Evidence of Bonafide Marriage

- 5 pages of picture evidence

- relationship timeline

- travel evidence (flight itineraries, passport stamps, visa, ATM receipts)

- communication evidence (several rebtel receipts from time apart)

- signed affidavits by family and friends

- Copy of apartment rental contract in Mali

- Copy of rental payment receipt

- Pregnancy certificate and translation

- Certificate of employment for (petitioner) in Mali

So how does that look? Am I forgetting anything?

Since we have to pay the fee twice (once for my spouse, once for my stepchild), should I do two separate checks or can I just lump them together?

Thanks for your time!

I am starting to work on the I-130 paperwork and feeling really overwhelmed over which address to use. I am the USC living abroad with my husband in Mali. From what I have seen on VJ, it is to our advantage time-wise to use our foreign address. But I am worried because it would be near impossible for us to receive mail here due to really unreliable infrastructure.

So I guess my questions are:

1. How are RFEs sent? From what I read they send a text message first and then a letter with details after.

2. So what would happen if we found out we had an RFE and then couldn't receive the letter detailing how to fix it?

3. When the NVC sends out a packet of forms (Of-169, Of-230, etc), how do they send that out? By snail mail or is that by email?

Would you suggest using our Malian mailing address (to have a possibility of things moving quicker) or use my parent's US mailing address (to get reliable mail)?

Thanks!

I just wanted to update this thread in case it can be useful to anyone in the future.

So we applied for the B-2 visa for my step-daughter.

Our evidence:

-parental permission (just a signed letter from each parent with a photocopy of their ID cards)

-letter and receipt from her school saying that she's enrolled and the fees are paid for next year

-a letter of support from my parents whose house we'll be staying at

-a letter from my school (I'm a teacher) showing that I work there and will continue working there next year

-her birth certificate

-my marriage certificate (to show our step-child/parent relationship)

The interview went well but we were missing one of the parental permission letters (from her mother). We got the letter and submitted it the next day. Our case was under "administrative processing" for 2 weeks and then she received her visa!

Yesterday, we flew into the States (POE: Atlanta). We passed through immigration easily, they just asked a few questions about how we're related and how long/where we're staying.

So there you go, we're thrilled that she got the visa and that I was able to bring her on vacation with me without major difficulties. Hope this information is useful to someone in the future!

Millions of children have been brought into this country by their parents etc, usual rule of thumb is half walked in half on temporary visa's like B2.

You said being 4 would make it easier, presumably because she would not stay? They did.

I see your point and hopefully this won't hurt our chances. But nothing I can do about the state of illegal immigration in the US!

I'll just have to try and see what happens. Thanks for your response.

You would be surprised.

Google DACA.

Hmm...googled it. Could you expand on how DACA relates to my situation? We are going for a visit, not to keep her there illegally. Are you saying that they may be harder on children now that DACA exists?

Thanks for replying, Niels Bohr. I will try my best to provide evidence that she has every reason to come back to Mali. It's funny, I would've thought her being 4 years old might make it easier.

Thanks, I guess we'll just try and see how it goes!

Bump!

Hello,

I am a USC and live with my husband (non-USC) in Mali. His 4-year-old daughter (my step-daughter) is a Malian citizen and has lived with us full-time for 3 years. I want to bring her to the USA with me this summer for a 3-4 week visit to see her step-grandparents again.

How likely are my chances of getting her a B2 tourist visa? She would be traveling alone with me, so her dad would be staying here in Mali as we know his chances for a B2 visa are slim to none.

He has full-custody so I would have a copy of those papers plus a signed document from him giving her permission to travel with me. For proof that she would return, I would have a receipt showing she is registered for school in Mali next year, a letter from my work showing that I am returning, and her dad is staying here.

What are her chances? Does that documentation seem sufficient?

Thank you.

Thanks for your replies. Sorry for the confusion, I did say fiance but we'll be getting married next month so we will be applying for CR-1 later. And I did read through the guides, just wasn't able to easily find this information.

Thank you.

I was wondering if it is possible to apply for the CR-1 visa and then just to use it for visits with the intention of immigrating later on.

I (US citizen) live with my fiance in Mali. We don't necessarily want to move to the USA right away but it would be nice for him to go with me when I go visit my family there. I know that when you arrive on a CR-1 visa, they send a temporary (2 year) green card to your house. So we could go on a longish vacation and then come back to Mali and then apply for a long term green card when the time comes. We do eventually want to move to the States, just not now.

Is this possible? Has anyone done this?

For 2, these are convictions for the foreigner, IN THE USA, so no need to obtain the court records. Certain court records are required from the petitioner, only if applicable.

I am confused by this. For OF-169, it says that the visa applicant needs to submit police records from any place he/she lived after the age of 16 but also for any place he/she lived in for more than a year. Also, it requires court records if they have been convicted of a crime. So I believe we will have to submit his court records even though he is a foreigner.

http://www.hmi-usa.com/OF169.pdf

As for my 3rd question: Is it really not possible to do all this while I (USC) am living abroad and have no home in the US. Can't we just put in his family's address where we will stay when we first arrive in the USA?

Thanks for the responses.

His arrests/convictions weren't drug related. Thank you for the idea of trying to get a document from the court saying the records are unavailable.

As for residency, I file taxes in Utah as a resident. I have a valid UT DL (although it expires this year so I'll have to figure that one out). But like I said, Utah is not where we'll be moving too. Our plan was to stay with his family in Georgia for a little bit while looking for our own place. I really would rather move back to the US with him since I want to be present for his interview and plane tickets back and forth are so expensive. It's looking like I might have to figure out a new plan though...

I should be fine for the affidavit of support, my assets in the US cover our 3 person household.

Hello!!

So awhile ago, my fiance and I were considering the K1 fiance visa (I am the USC) and we had actually done most of the paperwork for it but hadn't sent anything in yet. Well now, we are considering doing the CR-1 visa instead, because of cost and because there is less hassle once you get to the States (no AOS, no waiting for permission to work, etc). Our situation has a few complications which I had researched for K1 but now I want to make sure that I understand how these complications will affect us with the CR-1 instead. If these issues can all be worked through, then we will probably get married this summer and file for CR-1.

1. My fiance (the beneficiary) has a child (3 years old) from a previous relationship. Am I correct in understanding we can file for her as well (CR-2) at the same time as him? Will we have to file two I-130 forms (meaning double the price)? And then I assume we'll be paying double the price for everything...medical fees, fees paid at embassy, etc.

2. My fiance lived in the USA from ages 5-16 and overstayed his visa. I have already researched this and see that he'll be exempted from that since he was under the age of 18. But while he was in the USA, he was arrested several times and went to juvenile detention several times as well. When researching the K1 visa, we did a lot of calling around to see if we could get his court records from Georgia. It seemed nearly impossible since they are juvenile court records and he would normally have to pick them up in person, which he can't since he isn't living in the USA. Does anyone have any ideas on how to handle this?

3. Lastly, I see on the Dept of State website,

"Is Residence in the U.S. Required for the U.S. Sponsor? Yes. As a U.S. sponsor/petitioner, you must maintain your principal residence (also called domicile) in the U.S., which is where you plan to live for the foreseeable future. Living in the U.S. is required for a U.S. sponsor to file the Affidavit of Support, with few exceptions. To learn more, review the Affidavit of Support (I-864 or I-864EZ) Instructions."

I do not live in the US, haven't for several years, but I have kept my permanent residency there and I still pay taxes there and everything. My residency is in Utah, where my parents live and where I grow up. But this is NOT where my fiance and I would be moving when we go to the USA.

Is me not living in the US going to be a big problem for the CR-1 visa? Would this maybe be a reason to stick with the K1 visa?

I sincerely appreciate any help I can get on this.

Thank you

Maybe I read this wrong after watching all the fighting. But, does'nt it say on the FIRST OP. That he admits not having everything neccesary to submit a True and Complete 129-F. He states there are Criminal Matters that need to be addressed that should be included in the 129-F. Birth Certs. Also. Again, I may have read it wrong but, I think he's saying his Application is Incomplete. As far as the Signatures, April 2011 is fine. Don't get me in this Fight. I'm always in trouble.

OP here

I actually do have everything necessary for the I-129F. It is the paperwork for the interview that I am having a hard time with. The birth certs and criminal record stuff is for my fiance (the beneficiary).

Thanks

You're completely out of line and I've reported your post. Hopefully in the future you'll deal with people in a more civilized way.

Agree and thank you!